Migrate Cluster Roles to Windows Server 2012 R2

Published: November 11, 2013

Updated: January 22, 2014

Applies To: Windows Server 2012 R2

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for migrating clustered services and applications to a failover cluster running Windows Server 2012 R2 by using the Copy Cluster Roles Wizard. Not all clustered services and applications can be migrated using this method. This guide describes supported migration paths and provides instructions for migrating between two multi-node clusters or performing an in-place migration with only two servers. Instructions for migrating a highly available virtual machine to a new failover cluster, and for updating mount points after a clustered service migration, also are provided.

The Copy Cluster Roles Wizard supports migration to a cluster running Windows Server 2012 R2 from a cluster running any of the following operating systems:

Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP1)

Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 R2

Migrations are supported between different editions of the operating system (for example, from Windows Server Enterprise to Windows Server Datacenter), between x86 and x64 processor architectures, and from a cluster running Windows Server Core or the Microsoft Hyper-V Server R2 operating system to a cluster running a full version of Windows Server.

This migration guide is designed for cluster administrators who want to migrate their existing clustered roles, on a failover cluster running an earlier version of Windows Server, to a Windows Server 2012 R2 failover cluster. The focus of the guide is the steps required to successfully migrate the clustered roles and resources from one cluster to another by using the Copy Cluster Roles Wizard in Failover Cluster Manager.

General knowledge of how to create a failover cluster, configure storage and networking, and deploy and manage the clustered roles and features is assumed.

It is also assumed that customers who will use the Copy Cluster Roles Wizard to migrate highly available virtual machines have a basic knowledge of how to create, configure, and manage highly available Hyper-V virtual machines.

This guide does not provide instructions for migrating clustered roles by methods other than using the Copy Cluster Roles Wizard.

This guide identifies clustered roles that require special handling before and after a wizard-based migration, but it does not provide detailed instructions for migrating any specific role or feature. To find out requirements and dependencies for migrating a specific Windows Server role or feature, see Migrate Roles and Features to Windows Server 2012 R2.

This guide does not provide detailed instructions for migrating a highly available virtual machine (HAVM) by using the Copy Cluster Roles Wizard. For a full discussion of migration options and requirements for migrating HAVMs to a Windows Server 2012 R2 failover cluster, and step-by-step instructions for performing a migration by using the Copy Cluster Roles Wizard, see Hyper-V: Hyper-V Cluster Migration.

As you plan a migration to a failover cluster running Windows Server 2012 R2, consider the following:

For your cluster to be supported by Microsoft, the cluster configuration must pass cluster validation. All hardware used by the cluster should be Windows logo certified. If any of your hardware does not appear in the Windows Server Catalog in hardware certified for Windows Server 2012 R2, contact your hardware vendor to find out their certification timeline.

In addition, the complete configuration (servers, network, and storage) must pass all tests in the Validate a Configuration Wizard, which is included in the Failover Cluster Manager snap-in. For more information, see Validate Hardware for a Failover Cluster.

Hardware requirements are especially important if you plan to continue to use the same servers or storage for the new cluster that the old cluster used. When you plan the migration, you should check with your hardware vendor to ensure that the existing storage meets certification requirements for use with Windows Server 2012 R2. For more information about hardware requirements, see Failover Clustering Hardware Requirements and Storage Options.

The Copy Cluster Roles Wizard assumes that the migrated role or feature will use the same storage that it used on the old cluster. If you plan to migrate to new storage, you must copy or move of data or folders (including shared folder settings) manually. The wizard also does not copy any mount point information used in the old cluster. For information about handling mount points during a migration, see Cluster Migrations Involving New Storage: Mount Points.

When you use the Copy Cluster Roles Wizard for your migration, you can choose from a variety of methods to perform the overall migration. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for the following two methods:

Perform an in-place migration involving only two servers. In this scenario, you start with a two-node cluster that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or Windows Server 2012, remove a server from the cluster, and perform a clean installation (not an upgrade) of Windows Server 2012 R2 on that server. You use that server to create a new one-node failover cluster running Windows Server 2012 R2. Then you migrate the clustered services and applications from the old cluster node to the new cluster. Finally, you evict the remaining node from the old cluster, perform a clean installation of Windows Server 2012 R2 and add the Failover Clustering feature to that server, and then add the server to the new failover cluster. For more information, see In-Place Migration for a Two-Node Cluster: Migration to Windows Server 2012 R2.

Note

We recommend that you test your migration in a test lab environment before you migrate a clustered service or application in your production environment. To perform a successful migration, you need to understand the requirements and dependencies of the service or application and the supporting roles and features in Windows Server in addition to the processes that this migration guide describes.